Carving of a European official with two
policemen

Yoruba people,
Nigeria20th century AD

This wooden carving shows a European official
mounted on a horse and carrying a whip over his shoulder, flanked
by two African policemen. From the 1940s onwards, African carvings
of Europeans were becoming increasingly popular with both Europeans
living in Nigeria and with locals. These carvings captured the
essence of the European colonialist 'other' in
dress and manner: pith helmet and long socks, moustache, book,
spectacles. Such details were often exaggerated in sculptures that
expressed rank and authority while gently caricaturing the sitters.
They were painted with imported inks and shoe polish to make them
visually more
appealing.

One of the most
renowned carvers of this genre was Thomas Ona, who produced
numerous images of Europeans from the colonial period. His
motivation for representing these figures appears to have been a
personal interest in depicting rank and hierarchy rather than a
desire to provide a satirical comment.